Wirestrike Accident Cessna A185E VH-RKZ, Thursday 12 January 1989

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Date:	Thursday 12 January 1989
Time:	15:35
Type:	Cessna A185E
Owner/operator:
Registration:	VH-RKZ
MSN:	185-1392
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Maitland Airport (YMND), Rutherford, NSW - Australia
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	YMND
Destination airport:	YMND
Investigating agency:	BASI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The pilot was carrying out circuits and landings. Following a touch-and-go landing, the pilot had just reduced power at about 200 feet above ground level when the engine failed completely. The pilot turned the aircraft back towards the runway. After completing the turn, he realised he was too high and fast, with a 15 knot tailwind, to land on the runway. Sighting a paddock to his left, he made another turn back into wind toward it. The aircraft sank heavily onto the ground inside the aerodrome boundary, ran through a fence, and bounced back into the air. It then passed underneath a set of power lines, floated across the New England Highway and a second fence, and landed in the paddock, coming to rest some 365 metres from the initial touchdown marks. No fault was found with the aircraft engine or systems. The aircraft had carried sufficient but minimum fuel for the flight and it was considered that during manouevring a tank outlet may have become uncovered, resulting in fuel starvation to the engine.

Accident investigation: